Rev Left Radio [BEST OF 2025] Dialectics of Nature: Engels on Dialectical Materialism as a Worldview
Jan 1, 2026
Dive into the fascinating world of Engels' Dialectics of Nature, where nature itself is seen as a dynamic interplay of contradictions and transformations. The hosts unveil the three laws of dialectics, linking them to evolution and human consciousness. Explore how labor shaped our species and the dire ecological warnings Engels issued against capitalism. Discover the connections between dialectical materialism and Buddhist non-dualism, while pondering the deeper implications for agency and revolutionary optimism in today's climate crisis.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Dialectical Materialism As A Scientific Worldview
- Dialectical materialism is presented as a worldview confirmed by science rather than a lens imposed on reality.
- Breht argues nature unfolds through contradiction, interconnection, and motion, and science verifies this structure.
Internal Contradiction Drives Change
- The unity and struggle of opposites means a thing is defined by its internal contradictions rather than isolated properties.
- Alison and Engels show motion, life, and cognition arise from internal opposing tendencies like attraction and repulsion.
Zen Palm And The 'Outside' Answer
- Breht recounts a Zen teacher using palm-to-palm ritual to illustrate unity of opposites and non-dual awareness.
- He also recalls a student answering 'outside' when asked 'what is nature?', highlighting common separation of nature and culture.